Areas that have reopened
include the beach located to the west of Mobile Street. All areas
east of Mobile Street will remain closed until further notice. On
the Fort Morgan Unit, the area west of the beach access road, including
Mobile Point, will also reopen to the public. Permission must be obtained
from the Fort Morgan State Historical Site to access areas north of
the refuge boundary signs at Mobile Point. These beach areas on Bon
Secour National Wildlife Refuge are open to day use and foot traffic
only, and visitors should be no more than 50 feet away from the active
surf.

"This opening will
afford the visiting public an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty
of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and a chance to escape
their cleanup struggles as a result of Hurricane Ivan," said
Robert Cail, Manager of Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge.

In mid-September, Hurricane
Ivan made landfall at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and nearby
Gulf Shores, Alabama. This major Category 3 hurricane caused nearly
complete destruction of the primary and secondary dunes along the
Alabama Gulf coast. In addition, refuge parking areas, kiosks, observation
decks, and board walks have all been closed due to wind or storm surge
damage.

"Areas such as the
Jeff Friend, Pine Beach, and the Centennial trails will have to remain
closed due to large accumulations of construction debris mixed with
hazardous materials, including boards with nails, broken glass, appliances
that contain freon, gas containers, propane containers, and other
items typically found in beach houses," said Ron Hollis, Refuge
Operations Specialist.

Bon Secour National Wildlife
Refuge was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve fragile barrier
features along the rapidly developing Alabama Gulf Coast. The Refuge
is comprised of four separate units on the Fort Morgan Peninsula and
Little Dauphin Island in coastal Alabama. Habitats include a diverse
assemblage of beach, coastal dunes and associated uplands, salt marsh,
and wetlands at the mouth of Mobile Bay and within the Gulf of Mexico.
These habitats support a variety of threatened and endangered species,
such as the Alabama beach mouse, piping plover, and green, loggerhead,
and Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. More than 370 species of migratory
birds inhabit the refuge during migrations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages
the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses
544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other
special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries,
63 fish and wildlife management offices, and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers
the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their
conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program,
which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.